10 Picture Book Covers to Capture Your Imagination

I love kid’s books. I really love all books but have a special passion for children’s literature. My favorite books of all time are still The Secret Garden, Harry Potter, The Wizard of Oz, and Tikki Tikki Tembo. I love the simple way that kids look at the world, and the way they see things more clearly then sometimes we adults do. I also love illustrations. I find that picture book artists, in general, have been able to maintain part of that sense of wonder and curiosity that comes with being a child. I will have to do a few more of these articles to showcase all the wonderful covers I stumbled upon in my search for inspiration. I also do not know the designers here, so if you know the graphic designers behind these covers, post it in the comments or email me, and I will add it here.

In no particular order, here are the picture book covers I liked. In this article, I only feature the standard children’s picture book. Other formats and books will get their own space 🙂

1. Mrs. Armitage on Wheels, by Quentin Blake

I am starting with Quentin Blake because I love his work. I love his whimsical style, and the way his illustrations are just as amusing as the stories they illustrate. His drawings have so much energy and are so much fun.

2. Pig the Pug, by Aaron Blabley

Look at this guy’s face! Do I need to say anything else? A hysterical illustration that pulls you right in and the bold red color makes you feel that Pig the Pug is about to get into some serious trouble!

3. Ralf, by Jean Jullien

I like this cover because of its simplicity. The illustrator manages to convey so much about this dog with just a few strokes, and the white space draws your eye right to him.

4. And Away We Go, by Migy

There are a few things I love about this cover. I love the vibrancy of it, and I love the style of the drawings. I really like how the font style matches the illustration, and I love the fact that the whole cover is at an angle. It adds a sense of movement that makes you want to turn the page.

5. Big Red Lollipop, by Rukhsana Khan, Illustrated by Sopie Blackall

The thing I like best about this cover is the lollipop and the way it links visually to the title. I also like how everything on the cover is curved – the text, the head, the lollipop, the polka dots on her shirt.

6. I am Henry Finch, by Alexis Deacon, Illustrated by Viviene Schwartz

This is so clever! I love the idea of using a fingerprint as the body of the main character, who is trying to find himself.

7. Me and My Cat, by Ekaterina Trukhan

I like how this cover uses a different approach to the layout. Instead of depicting a scene, both characters are popping in from different sides of the cover. I also like the bright colors. I don’t love the fonts but forgive it here because of the cuteness of the girl and her cat.

8. Mind Your Monsters, by Catherine Bailey, Illustrated by Oriol Vidal

A few things I really like about this cover. I like that there is one big focus of the cover and that the size of the people and buildings contrast so sharply with the monster, making it look even bigger. I like that this monster book is pink – subtly smashing the gender stereotypes so popular in the world we live in. And lastly, I love that the monster’s tentacles make up some of the letters. It makes for a visually appealing, exciting cover you want to pick up and read.

9. Peggy, by Anna Walker

When I first looked at this cover, I liked it, especially the typography, and the watercolor illustrations, but didn’t see what was so special about it – until I looked a second time and realized that Peggy is the chicken! So kudos to Anna Walker for making me look twice, and for the beautiful type treatment, as well.

10. Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, by Mac Barnett, Illustrated by Jon Klassen

 

First off, I love the pictures. No one has mouths, but they have expressions! How does one accomplish that so well? Secondly, I really like how the text leads your eye right down to Sam and Dave in the hole. And the cat peering down at them is probably thinking what I am thinking – why are they in the hole? What are they doing? How will they get out?

I have many, many, more children’s books that Iove, but I like to keep these posts to 10 covers at a time, so they will have to wait for another day! Do you have any children’s book covers that you love? Post them in the comments, below.

FREE DOWNLOADThe Author's Guide to Working with Illustrators

Learn everything you need to know about hiring and working with illustrators for your next book.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

2 thoughts on “10 Picture Book Covers to Capture Your Imagination”

Leave a Comment


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.